During the unveiling of Nigeria’s Communications Commission Strategic Vision Plan (2021-2025), NCC Global Connect Podcast and a Compendium of speeches by the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, in Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, touched on a number of issues around the ministry’s activities.
He said a lot of questions have been coming the way of his ministry, especially in regards to its role in tackling insecurity by using its facilities to uncover information on peoples line.
“It is only the security institutions that have power and access to people’s lines; we do not have such power, if not, it will be abused. It will be wrong for anybody to contact NCC or ministry to provide data of any subscriber,” he said.
He went further to say that “Sometimes, security institutions can gain access without confronting us because Mr. President has approved that for security institutions to gain access to people information without confronting us make their work much easier than they would have access to many things than when they contact NCC or operators.
“Even when we are contacted, there are requirements constitutionally to do that because telephone conversations are meant to be confidential as stipulated by section 37 sub section 39 of the constitution.
“The Cybercrime Act 2015 and the subsidiary legislations of the commission allow government to give such approval when a crime is committed after the security agencies established a prima-facie case, then it can be conveyed to the relevant institution.”
The minister said, “I can tell you that many successes have been recorded but not meant for public consumption. Today, criminals usually block highways and use phone of victims to contact their families. There are a lot of things the sector has been doing to support the stability and security of the nation.
